Monday, June 12, 2006

The Mac Truque: "Mickey's Monkey" (Capitol)

Nearly every time I do a Google search for an obscure 45, I almost always see the same record on some one's playlist or their set-sale list or something. With this one, I noticed a lot of listings under the name "Gary Mac and the Mac Truque." and I see an album called "Truqued Up" going for 30 or 40 bucks. Two questions remain unanswered: Is Gary Mac and the Mac Truque the same band as this 45, and just who the heck were The Mac Truque anyway?

Whatever the case, this 45 came as a big surprise to me. One of my friends found it for me at a rummage sale admist a pile of a few other 45s. This one struck me differently as it's an obvious cover of the Miracles' big hit, but it's a little rawer and more funked-up than the "official" version. In fact, this version is characterized by a heavy bass line, a lot of chunky funk guitar, a smattering of horns and a singer that does his best Smokey impersonation, but a tad wilder.

Ah, the things you can find sometimes. Now if anyone knows who The Mac Truque were/are, I'd greatly appreciate some enlightenment.

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